Where do Wild Boars Come From?

26 October, 2020

The Origin of the Wild Boar Population

This is a photo of a wild boar walking during low light.

The wild boar has become a pest animal in North America. Spreading like a fungus and wiping away crops and livestock in its wake. Gradually becoming a destructive force that has been steadily rising in concern across the nation. This species isn’t new to devastation.

They have been around for quite some time. They’ve been known to be disruptive and destructive since they originated from across the globe. But how did they expand internationally? How did they become a widespread nuisance at such an alarming rate in The United States? Continue reading to find out the answers to these questions.

Wild boars are native to Eurasia and North Africa. They have been around for about 1.8 million years. Fossils show they are highly adaptive to various climates and landscapes, thriving in diverse environments from dense forests to open grasslands.

The Expanse and Domestication of the Wild Boar

The wild boar is one of the oldest animals still roaming the Earth today. The boar species is millions of years old originating from all over the globe but is most recognized as coming from Oceania and Southeast Asia. With the help of shifting continents and, more recently colonization, have domesticated in the hundred thousand across the rest of the planet started around 9,000 prior.

According to historical records of the 19th century, the wild boar population in Europe was reduced greatly because of human involvement and their unfit strength as a species back then. However, in the past 50 years, their strength as a species has grown along with their reproductive rate and decreased hunting.

Besides migrating, they were often transported by humans for hunting purposes and as a source of food, which only enabled their spread into new territories. Since then, wild boars have adapted to various environments, reproduced a ton, and through that have reverted back to feral state boars.

This is graphic showing the predicted probability of expanded wild boar range across America from 1982-2012.

Wild Boar Survival in New and Unknown Territory

More recently, their numbers have continued to grow. With their growth, they brought disease, farmland destruction, and even vehicle collisions. Their ability to survive in almost any environmental condition should also be taken into account. Different wild boar subspecies have taken over others, died out, or reproduced in massive amounts.

In the early to mid-1900s the wild swine population was known to have been dropping to an almost extinction rate. But, by the mid to late 1900s, their population grew and grew from Asia to Russia to Denmark, eventually reaching the Americas.

Ever since setting hooves in North America, the wild boar has plummeted its way through other species, crops, and everything in between. They are known to have first been introduced to North America by European colonization as big game prey. Some were reported to have escaped their hunting grounds and would mate with other feral pigs.

One notable incident was in 1912 in North Carolina when 13 wild boars from Europe were released in a fenced enclosure in Graham County. After a decade, they broke through migrating to Tennessee, California, Florida, West Virginia, and Mississippi.

Many of these imported boars and escapes happened numerous times during the 1900s. They would be released into a hunting ground, escape, spread across the country, reproduce, and wreak havoc. Today, they have been reported in almost every state. ^[1]

To dig deeper and understand the boar better, several factors take part in their survivability.

First, they are omnivorous, with a diverse diet that includes roots, tubers, fruits, small animals, and even carrion which means they can find food and survive in almost any habitat.

Second, they hump like bunnies. Females produce multiple litters each year, which means they spread quickly.

Third, wild boars are intelligent mammals with complex social structures. They live in groups that provide protection and aid in finding food, enhancing their chances of survival

To finish, the advancement of wild boars from ancient origins to their current global presence just shows how much of a force they can be. Their continuation of spreading throughout the United States, as shown below, and in a variety of environments, continues to thrive in both familiar and unfamiliar territories.